This book assists the busy professional with ready-to-use materials to present entertaining, educational, and age-appropriate programs that introduce young learners to countries and cultures around the world. The result of a collaboration of children's librarians and educators with over 70 years' combined experience, Travel the Globe: Story Times, Activities, and Crafts for Children, Second Edition offers the busy librarian, teacher, or media specialist with ready-to-use resources that introduce children to countries and cultures around the world. It provides recommended books, stories, action rhymes, fingerplays, games, and activities that can be used to plan a series of programs or a single activity that are both entertaining and educational. The book is organized alphabetically by country, with simple, low-cost craft ideas included in each chapter. All crafts use low-cost supplies and are simple to prepare and execute. At least two craft projects are included in each chapter: one for preschoolers, with suggestions for additional simplification; and another designed for children in kindergarten through third grade. The wide variety of resources within makes this book a valuable investment, as it will be useful year after year with new presentations and activities. Five children's librarians and assistants who have spent countless hours planning storytimes contributed to the multitude of ideas in this compilation of fingerplays, songs, books, and activities for kids from preschool to third grade. It is organized alphabetically by the 14 countries included. Within each section, there are separate suggestions for the youngest audiences and more sophisticated concepts for older children. Veteran storytellers and beginners alike can find ideas for flannel-board stories and games, as well as other suggestions for media such as a CD or DVD to use in programming. Attractive reproducible outlines, which can be embellished, aid in creating flannel-board patterns or simple finger puppets. This edition keeps the information from the original book, but it has been updated with more current titles in the bibliography, new media choices, and new sources for craft ideas.–Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VAα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Travel the Globe is a resource for professionals who are seeking to create internationally themed storytimes enhanced with crafts, songs, and finger plays. The text is organized by location, including entries from 14 select countries, such as Brazil, Egypt, Italy, and India. Each section provides a read-aloud bibliography specific to the country, a story for storytelling, flannel-board pages to copy, other media options, finger-play ideas, and a craft to complete. Included is a storytime plan for preschool as well as kindergarten through third grade. This text is an update from the 1998 edition of Travel the Globe, and it contains many of the components of the original text. New stories have been added for reading aloud as well as additional resource ideas. This text could be a worthwhile find for librarians and other professionals who want ready-to-use resources or an introduction to global storytimes and activities. --Blaire Ranucci “This is a helpful resource book for presenting storytimes about 14 countries . . . the resource lists are valuable and the activity resources are handy.” ― Library Media Connection “Veteran storytellers and beginners alike can find ideas for flannel-board stories and games, as well as other suggestions for media such as a CD or DVD to use in programming. Attractive reproducible outlines, which can be embellished, aid in creating flannel-board patterns or simple finger puppets. This edition keeps the information from the original book, but it has been updated with more current titles in the bibliography, new media choices, and new sources for craft ideas.” ― School Library Journal “This text could be a worthwhile find for librarians and other professionals who want ready-to-use resources or an introduction to global storytimes and activities.” ― Booklist Online “This resource guide is designed to assist librarians, media specialists, teachers, parents, and caregivers working with preschoolers and children through third grade. It provides useful resources for story-hour activities, focusing on a variety of countries around the world. . . . The many ideas and reproducible activities included in the guide make it a valuable resource for children's librarians in public or school settings.” ― ARBA Desiree Webber is director of Mustang Public Library in Mustang, OK. Dee Ann Corn has served as public services assistant in the Children's Department at the Moore Public Library in the Pioneer Library System of Norman, OK, for over 20 years. Elaine Harrod has served as children's library assistant with the Moore Public Library, Moor